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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. squash — the sport
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. root — the cause
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. chest — of your body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — of a word
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — magic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. chest — a box

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com